Look up up the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense if what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. ~ Stephen Hawking If nothing else, chasing the Neowise comet around has raised my awareness of the vastness of space. Yes, I know, all one … Read more
As far as fields go, you can’t do much better than a wildflower patch. In this case, Black-eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) are the featured attraction. Iowa is known for it’s crop production…the ever common corn and soybeans, top the list. But every now and then you find a field that’s been left alone for a … Read more
The Neowise comet has been one bright spot (pun intended) in the otherwise challenging year of 2020. Easily observable comets don’t come around all that often, but this one has been putting on a very nice nightly show. Most comets simply fizzle out or fall apart before we really get to see much from planet … Read more
The Osprey is an enjoyable bird to watch. They consume only fish, so you’ll find them around water. Lakes, rivers, ponds all work for them…as long as fish are found…they may spot one from high up and plunge, feet first, into the water to grab the top swimmers. The Osprey was greatly diminished in Iowa … Read more
Along much of the Cedar river you’ll find these backwater sloughs and swamps that, on the surface, are anything but intriguing. Look a little closer though and you’ll find them to be haven for wildlife. They are, after all, virtually untouched over time. They are incredibly hard and costly to develop…for farming or development…and that … Read more
We have what could best be described as a tribe of gray squirrels in the backyard. Curious and rambunctious…they are fun to watch as they leap from limb to limb or chase each other around on the ground. So it was rather odd to see this one chilling out on a log. It appeared fine … Read more